Teaching

There are a number of courses on campus that focus on the effective communication of health and science. Students should check the academic course calendar for information on the availability of these courses in upcoming semesters.

ADV 391K: Science Communication

Faculty: LeeAnn Kahlor, Ph.D. (Department of Advertising)
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This course examines communication theory and research relevant to the improvement of science communication. This semester, there will be a focus on the topics of global warming and nanotechnology, including public understanding and media coverage.

BDP 101: Environmental Change and Sustainability

Faculty: Jay Banner, Ph.D. (Department of Geological Sciences), Michael Michaelides (Department of Geological Sciences)
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This Forum Seminar will explore the range of environmental problems that have been created by human activity and population growth.  Among the major issues to be addressed are water resources, climate change, biodiversity, and possible solutions to these problems.  The roles of science, policy-making, and economic interests` will be examined in the context of these issues.  This course is one credit and is serves as the gateway course into the Bridging Disciplines Program on The Environment.

SW 395K: Community Participatory Research on Health Disparities

Faculty: Laura Lein, Ph.D. (School of Social Work and Department of Anthropology), Melissa Smith (Seton Community Health Centers)
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This seminar is designed to enable an interdisciplinary team of graduate students and faculty to work in partnership with community organizations on issues related to health disparities as they are experienced in the East Austin area. This course will build on past focus group efforts in East Austin in 2002, during which childhood obesity was identified by community members as a key public health concern, which disproportionately affects poor and minority families. Addressing childhood obesity also impacts the related complications of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer which are also characterized by health disparities. Seminar participants will work first with community members to create an information base of community-based organizations with current or potential interest in this issue and to identify key research questions about root causes and effective community solutions to childhood obesity.

UGS 302: Health Communication in the Media

Faculty: Michael Mackert, Ph.D. (Department of Advertising)
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This Signature Course for first-year students focuses on health communication in the media, looking at issues from direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs to how popular TV shows influence how people think about health.